A post shared by Anupama Chopra (@anupama.chopra) on May 19, 2017 at 3:21am PDT

The conversation at the 70th Cannes film festival these few days was dominated by two topics—Netflix and the heightened security measures!

This is the first year that the streaming giant has two titles in competition: Bong Joon Ho’s sci-fi Okja and Noah Baumbach’s The Meyerowitz Stories. The decision to include these films angered French exhibitors because Netflix has no interest in supporting theatrical releases. Cannes made peace with the exhibitors by putting a rule into place for next year—all competing films will have to commit to a theatrical release. But the two Netflix titles remain in the running for the prestigious Palme d’Or.

The battle between the traditional way of consuming cinema and the disruptive model offered by Netflix is creating headlines here. Christophe Tardieu, head of the French National Cinema Center, described Netflix as ‘the perfect representation of American Cultural imperialism’. This battle will only get more interesting as the festival continues.

The increased security measures are throwing Cannes’s traditionally clockwork schedule off: this morning, the 8.30am screening didn’t start until 8.45am. Getting into a film now requires going through a metal detector, two hand bag checks and two body checks. It’s a depressing statement on the world we live in. On opening night, one could see women in voluminous designer gowns going through the security drill!

But there is so much to enjoy, too: the Riviera sunshine, the frantic energy and passion for cinema, which is palpable in every nook. I also take great pleasure in checking out the films that are on sale in the Cannes market. We might be watching high art at the festival but in the basement, where the ‘dhanda’ happens, distributors are buying and selling titles with names like Teenage Love Bomb and Tokyo Ghoul.

Then there’s the thrill of celeb sightings. I spotted Pedro Almodovar in the lobby of a hotel, and Uma Thurman breezed past me at the opening ceremony. After all these years in the biz, I remain dazzled.